Markus 12:42

12:42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, ¹  worth less than a penny.

Markus 15:16

Jesus is Mocked

15:16 So ²  the soldiers led him into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence) ³  and called together the whole cohort. ⁴ 

[12:42]  ¹ sn These two small copper coins were lepta (sing. “lepton”), the smallest and least valuable coins in circulation in Palestine, worth one-half of a quadrans or 1/128 of a denarius, or about six minutes of an average daily wage. This was next to nothing in value.

[15:16]  ² tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “So” to indicate that the soldiers’ action is in response to Pilate’s condemnation of the prisoner in v. 15.

[15:16]  ³ tn Grk “(that is, the praetorium).”

[15:16]  sn The governor’s residence (Grk “praetorium”) was the Roman governor’s official residence. The one in Jerusalem may have been Herod’s palace in the western part of the city, or the fortress Antonia northwest of the temple area.

[15:16]  ⁴ sn A Roman cohort was a tenth of a legion, about 500-600 soldiers.